WE TRIED IT! Bridgestone E9 Long Drive Golf Ball

By Michael Cooney

THIS month I reviewed the Bridgestone e9 Long Drive Golf Ball and the name of this product really grabbed my attention.

I have played and reviewed Bridgestone balls in the past, but they have normally been in their premium range and I have loved those products so I was really keen to see how the balls would perform on the course. 

Normally, when I test a new golf ball, I go straight to the short-game areas but due to the nature of the name I did the complete opposite.

I moved straight into hitting a half dozen five-iron shots before going to the driver. I couldn’t help myself. 

This ball is designed slightly differently. Most manufacturers will get input from touring professionals but Bridgestone have co-developed the ball with the help from some of the leaders in the World Long Drive Association and have their input into the ball.

The balls feature Extreme Gradational core technology which has a faster outer region that delivers extreme ball speed whilst the soft inner core region creates a tight and consistent ball flight. 

From first glance, the cover looked slightly different but only because I am picky in that regard but the seamless 330-dimple cover has been aerodynamically designed to reduce drag and maintain ball speed whilst providing in-flight stability in all playing conditions. 

Those are the features of the ball, but now let’s chat about what I thought. The ball definitely is designed for golfers with high club and ball-head speed. 

It’s a ball that I liked off the tee and any time I had a longer iron or fairway wood I really like. The other feature that I could not fault was the durability of the ball. 

I tested the ball inside using a Trackman 4 so the conditions were perfect but what I normally find with using balls inside is that they really get warn out after one day’s use. So, when I used it for while teaching, the ball wasn’t that scuffed which was pleasantly surprising. 

The other component of the ball which I found surprising was it didn’t feel rock hard, which most balls do when they are designed with the higher club and ball speed with golfers in mind. And the durability of the ball was really surprising. 

Sure, the ball wasn’t getting the same amount of spin that my current ball gets around the green however it wasn’t that far off. 

Now to the golf course. Again, like my results on Trackman 4, inside the ball off the tee felt really good and the ball lasted nine holes without having to change it which is always something to keep in mind when choosing a ball.

The durability of the ball was impressive. Even after bunker shots and shots that hit trees, the ball didn’t really wear out. 

All in all, the ball was great to experience. I have never used a ball that had been co-developed from the World Long Drive Association so that was cool to do considering the ball is strongly designed for those who pose a high club and ball speed so they get all the benefits from the ball. 

If you’re looking for a ball that has all the advantages of those longer clubs you should definitely be considering the Bridgestone e9 Long Drive Ball.

Happy golfing! 

Michael Cooney is a teaching professional at the PGA Centre for Learning and Performance at the Sandhurst Golf Club in Melbourne and is always on the hunt for the latest and greatest in golf products.